Confusion and farce as United fail to land Herrera

It would not be transfer deadline day without some confusion and farce, and this time round that appears to centre on Manchester United's £30.5million bid to sign Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.

It is being widely reported that three individuals claiming to represent Manchester United officials arrived at the offices in Madrid to pay Herrera's buyout clause in full. It later emerged these men were imposters.

Agents close to the negotiations denied this version of events but it did not matter as the transfer collapsed anyway.

United manager David Moyes insisted the negotiations failed because United were not prepared to pay Bilbao's £30.5 million asking price. "I really like the player but we thought the buy-out was the wrong valuation," he said.

Herrera had been keen to make the move and personal terms for a five-year deal were agreed.

After enduring a tricky start to his Manchester United career, perhaps it is fair that Marcos Rojo celebrated so boisterously as he watched his first professional club Estudiantes beat fierce rivals Gimnasia